Portugal clinching a place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup is great news, as it means we all get to witness Cristiano Ronaldo at the highest level of all, in his prime.

It is fitting that the fight between Portugal and Sweden was in the end, finished off by Ronaldo’s unstoppable hatrick on Tuesday night. Having big names at a major tournament is one thing, but having the best players in the world there at their peak is something else.

Ronaldo has never been better than he is now; he is a ruthless, destructive and powerful goal machine. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an impressive talent and unique character, that is clear to see. But to have Ronaldo at the tournemant can only be great news. It means that when Portugal comes out to play, even in the group games, we know we are about to witness one of the finest footballers in history, on the world stage, competing to win the hardest trophy of them all.

Ronaldo has had the flair and the excitement since he was a teenager at Sporting Lisbon, but now in his late 20′s, there is no comparison in the world today. Lionel Messi has a finesse in his game, but currently, Ronaldo’s sheer, direct power and ability to tear apart a team in seconds is sensational.

We should all remember these moments, like the hatrick Ronaldo pulled off to take Portugal to the World Cup, as it is truly unique. Every generation has their star players, and had Messi not been about, Ronaldo would have been praised even more.

Next summer in Brazil, Ronaldo will have the chance to capture greatness once more, and for me, that is exciting.

Stowe Gregory is a Soccer and Sports writer for RantSports.com. Follow him or tweet on Twitter @stowegregory. Or add to circles on Google+.

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